A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

And although to some one action there concur divers things / which partly are not to be followed at all / partly are indifferent to be followed or not followed: yet neither the unlawfulness of the one to be followed / nor the indifferency of the other / can hinder / but there are other some things in the same action necessary to be followed. Which may be considered both of the place of the Acts / ¹touching the election / where I have proved some things there mentioned to be necessary to be done in elections / although other some be not convenient nor fit for us to follow. And I have showed it also by M. Calvin / which Master Doctor allegeth for him self / and by Cyprian / whose authority he would be loth to reject I am sure / least he should lose the opinion of his studiousness of the old writers / which he hunteth so diligently after in this book / and whereof he maketh the authors of the Admonition so great contemners. And it is not hard to show the same in .xx. places more / as in S. Matthew and S. Luke / ²where / as there are divers things not to be followed of the ministers now / other things indifferent to be followed / so are there also other things that be as well commanded to all the ministers that now are / as they were then either to the 12. or. 70. disciples. And other reason he addeth there / that S. Peter baptised in Cornelius house. But M. Doctor maketh not the best choice of his arguments / for S. Pauls baptising in the house of the gayler / had been more fit ³for him. For unto his place it may be easily answered / that Cornelius having so great a family as it is like he had / and besides that divers soldiers underneath him / and further his friends and his acquaintance which he had called / had a competent number / and as many as would make a congregation / and as could commodiously be preached unto in one place. But the answer to both these examples and other such like / as that S. Paul baptised the house of ⁴Stephana is easy. For there being persecutions at that time / so that it was not safe neither for the minister / nor for the people to be seen / it was meet that they should do it in houses / which otherwise they would have done in open places. And then / those houses which received the congregation / were not as I have showed for the time to be counted private houses.